Lens cover and operating button assembly

ABSTRACT

A lens cover for the lens of a telescope embodies a collar of polyethylene having a high degree of flexibility which is mounted over the end of the telescope. The collar has a melting point of about 300* F. The collar has ears integral therewith and a pivot pin on which a stiff lid is pivoted. The collar has an interior annular shoulder, an exterior shoulder, and a shallow annular extension beyond the exterior shoulder over which the lid snaps, the extension and shoulder having a cooperating rib and groove to hold the lid closed. The collar has a thickened portion spaced circumferenctially of the collar from the ears. An operating button and lever unit of another synthetic resin product (DuPont Zytel 101) having a melting point of 700* F is coated with a mold release material and molded in the thickened portion of the collar and has an extension projecting above the exterior shoulder for operating the lever. The material of the enlargement fills into a central aperture of the lever to provide a pivot for it.

United States Patent [191 Vissing [451 Aug. 27, 1974 LENS COVER ANDOPERATING BUTTON ASSEMBLY I Ellin D. Vissing, Idaho Falls, Idaho [73]Assignee: Butler Creek Company, Jackson,

Wyo.

22 Filed: Feb. 23, 1973 21 App]. No: 335,242

[75 Inventor:

[52] us. Cl. 33/244, 350/65 511 int. Cl G02b 23/16, F4lg 11/00 581 Fieldof Search 33/244; 350/05 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,488,188 9/l949 Halvorson 33/244 2,849,795 9/]958 Vissing 33/244Primary Examiner-Harry N. Haroian Assistant Examiner-Richard R. SteamsAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Wells, St. John & Robert [57] ABSTRACT A lenscover for the lens of a telescope embodies a collar of polyethylenehaving a high degree of flexibility which is mounted over the end of thetelescope. The collar has a melting point of about 300 F. The collar hasears integral therewith and a pivot pin on which a stiff lid is pivoted.The collar has an interior annular shoulder, an exterior shoulder, and ashallow annular extension beyond the exterior shoulder over which thelid snaps, the extension and shoulder having a cooperating rib andgroove to hold the lid closed. The collar has a thickened portion spacedcircumferenctially of the collar from the ears. An operating button andlever unit of another synthetic resin product (DuPont Zytel lOl having amelting point of 700 F is coated with a mold release material and moldedin the thickened portion of the collar and has an extension projectingabove the exterior shoulder for operating the lever. The material of theenlargement fills into a central aperture of the lever to provide apivot for it.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures LENS COVER AND OPERATING- BUTTON ASSEMBLYBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The lens covers for rifle. telescopes shownherein are of a general type that have been in use for many years.

. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,849,795 to Royal A. Vissing is the when releasedwillspring open and yetwill stay closed until positively pushed part wayopen. The lid opening means must be on the collar and of such naturethat the opening of the lid does not tend to pull the collar off thelens barrel.

The purpose of this invention istto provide the lid'and collar with acomplete sealing connection and. a lift lever housed in the collarztobreak'the sealing connection. Specifically, this invention provides acircular lever body molded in the collar with one projection underlyingthe lid and another projection-projecting axially of the collaralongsidethe'rlid edgeto-turn the. circular lever body to lift thefirstprojection andpush the lid away fromthe collar.

BRIEF 'DESCRIPTIONOF THE. DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view. of 'airifletelescope equipped with lens covers embodyingthe invention.

FIG. 2. is an end view ofthe lens cover.

FIG. 3 is asectional viewonthezline 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end view of theslens coverlookingrearward from thelensbarrel showing the structure ofthe collar.

FIG. is an enlarged sectional viewonathe line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view. on the line=6-.6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional viewon theline 77 of FIG. 1. The line 77is also indicated on FIG. '5.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 the lensbarrel lofa rifletelescope has both ends provided withcovers indicatedat 2. The covers 2 are identical and FIGS. 2 to 7 show the details ofeach cover 2.

The two major parts of the cover are a lid 3 which is of a stiffpolyethylene material and a-hollow collar 4 which is a resilientpolyethylene resin which is capable of stretching slightly to go overthelens barrel 1. This collar has a relatively low melting. point, about300 F.

The lid 3 has an annularflange 5'which hasa groove 6 therein to receivea rib 7 in the groove16 and hold the lid 3 on the collar 4. Rib 7 isformed about an annular extension 8 of collar 4. A hinge sleeve 9 isformed on the lid and extends'between hinge ears 10 on the collar 4. Thesleeve 9 and ears 10 receive a hinge pin 11 to connect them. A spring 12has one end'l3 embedded in the sleeve 9 and is wrapped around the pin 11with its free endl4 resting on the collar 4 between the cars 10. Thespring 12. is woundunder tension so that it tends to swing the lid 3open away from the collar 4.

Spring 12. is designed that when embedded within sleeve 9, it hassufficient coiled force to quickly open the released lid 3 and to thenholdlid 3 above collar 4 .2 in a substantially horizontalposition underslight tension. This open position is tdefined by abutment of the sideedges of lid 3 against the ears l0, and is shown in dashed linesin FIG.1.

It is also important to note that spring 12 is totally enclosed withinthe assembly when the lid 3 is closed, protecting the metal spring fromweather conditions and eliminating the possibility of accidentalsnagging of the relatively light spring wire.

As shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4, the collar 4 has thick wall portions 4dat the cars 10 and opposite them. In.

between these portions, are thin wall portions 4b that extend inwardlyto an edge 4c. The portion beyond the edge 40 is of the same'thicknessas the portions 4d up to the extension 8. This construction providesadequate strength for the collar 4 and provides a shoulder at edge 4cfor. abutment with the end of lens barrel 1.

The lid 3 has a lift tab 15 located about (counterclockwise with respectto FIG. 2) around the lid which seats in a thickened wall portion 4d onthe collar 4 andwhich, when so seated, is flush'withthe shoulder .atedge4c of'the collar 4. When pressureisapplied on the finger projection 17in a direction toward collar 4, the projection 18 lifts the tab 15 tobreak the lid 3 away from the rib 7. The spring 12 then snaps the lidwide open.

The lift lever 16 is madeof a-hardmaterial such as the synthetic resinproduct made by the DuPont Company and sold under their trade name Zytel101. The melting point of this material is about 700 F. This makes itpossible to coat the finished lift lever 16 with a moldreleasecompoundand mount it in the die for the collar 4 in a position so thatwhen the collar 4 is molded, the thickened wall portion 4d will coverthe lever and form a pivot pin 20 for the lever 16. Upon removal fromthe die, the collar 4 has the lever 16 pivoted therein in the positionshown in FIG. 5. The pivot pin 20 prevents the lever from snapping outof its socket inthe wall portion 4d.

The integral pivot pin 20 molded through lift lever 16 is a mostimportant feature of this disclosure. It has been found impractical touse separate hinge pins in soft molded plastic materials. First, thefabrication step is .costly. Secondly, it is subject to being torn fromthe flexible material or broken when subjected to outdoor use bysportsmen. This is overcome by injection molding of pivot pin 20 underhigh pressure integrally with the molding of collar 4 to provide onecomplete molded article.

These lens covers for rifle telescopes may be subjected to all sorts ofweather, mud, rain, and snow, saltwater and freezing. By reason of theconstruction just described, the lens covers are and remainsubstantially impervious to the weather attacks and keep the lensesclear.

The embodiments of my invention in which an exclusive right is claimedare defined in the following claims:

1. A lens cover comprising: a resilient collar adapted to be stretchedover a lens barrel,

3 4 a lid hinged to one end of said collar; i lift tab; spring meansconncted to the collar and the lid and the lift lever having a fingerprojection extending urging the lid away from said one end of thecollar; from the collar alongside the lid by which the lever may bepivoted to push said lift tab away from the the collar and lid havingcomplementary annular 5 collar. 7

flanges, one of which is ribbed and the other being 2. The inventiondefined in claim 1 wherein the collar grooved, to hold the lid on thecollar; has a thickened wall adjacent to the hinge point with a push tabon the lid remote from the hinge point the lid, and opposite the hingepoint with thin walls adapted when pushed away from the collar toretherebetween, and lease the lid flange from the collar; the collarhaving a thick end all around at the flanged a lift lever pivotallyembedded in the collar and havend, forming a stop shoulder for the lenscover.

ing a projection thereon in position to engage the

1. A lens cover comprising: a resilient collar adapted to be stretchedover a lens barrel, a lid hinGed to one end of said collar; spring meansconncted to the collar and the lid and urging the lid away from said oneend of the collar; the collar and lid having complementary annularflanges, one of which is ribbed and the other being grooved, to hold thelid on the collar; a push tab on the lid remote from the hinge pointadapted when pushed away from the collar to release the lid flange fromthe collar; a lift lever pivotally embedded in the collar and having aprojection thereon in position to engage the lift tab; the lift leverhaving a finger projection extending from the collar alongside the lidby which the lever may be pivoted to push said lift tab away from thecollar.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the collar has athickened wall adjacent to the hinge point with the lid, and oppositethe hinge point with thin walls therebetween, and the collar having athick end all around at the flanged end, forming a stop shoulder for thelens cover.